Do you know how pointless it to attempt to control a conversation? How do you react to people that that constantly dominate the conversation without sharing the opportunity to be heard? My sentiments exactly. With online communities, that’s not going to help you or your brand. Pushover’s aren’t appreciated.

Companies need to understand that the push for social media isn’t about just using tools to find the conversation. The platforms and tools available today allow you to actively listen to a conversation about your brand. You need to organize the thoughts, ideas, and direction your community is headed in based on the conversations you find. You don’t want to control the conversation, because you need them to help you control your brand!
  

Maybe This Will Help You Understand
  

• Actively Listening + A Product (Conversations) = A Potentially Better Product
• A Potentially Better Product (Conversations) = A Potentially Better Brand

Whether you’d like to admit or not, people are turning to the web for information more and more. I can’t remember the last time I looked at the Yellow Pages. I don’t watch TV all that often. I tell people, “Google is your friend” all the time. I’m debating switching from Google to Twitter Search. People are going to expose the companies that are lagging behind, and praise those who at the very least have their feet in the game. You can’t stop people from talking about you just by not listening. In fact, you don’t want them to stop talking. That’s almost like the death of your brand. You want the conversation!

Better Your Conversations, Better Your Brand
 

The key to maintaining a positive brand image is to actively monitor these conversations, let your customers know that you hear them, then show it!

I know when a company is actively listening to me because I can see the difference in future products or services. I might see a steady stream of updates continuously being pushed out from developers. However, these updates actually address previous problems and complaints, instead of giving me more to complain about. They’re active on Twitter or Facebook, sharing quick tips about their services and great content of interest. They know what they’re doing.
   

• Are you actively listening?
• What companies are doing a good job of actively listening?